LP 631 

.7 

.C58 

Copy 1 j^^ OUTLIJSrE 



AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM; 



WITH 



REMAEKS 

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 

COMMON SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND. 

BY 

JESSE COLLINGS. 



" We regard it as a wise and liberal system of police, by which property, and life, and 
the peace of society are secured. We seek to prevent, in some measure, the extension of 
the penal code, by inspiring a salutary and conservative principle of virtue and knowledge 
in an early age. We hope to excite a feeling of respectabUity, and a sense of character, 
by. enlarging the capacity, and increasing the sphere of intelluctual enjoyment."— DaaieJ 
Webster, on the policy of Public SchooU. 



BIRMINGHAM; 
'jotjekal" printing offices, new stkeet. 









AN OUTLINE 



AMERICAN SCHOOL SYSTEM. 



THE description of tlie American Common School System 
contained in tlie following pages, is derived from the 
Eeport of tlie Eev. J. Eraser, ]\I.A., Assistant Commissioner, 
"wlio was sent to America to inquire into the method of 
education which prevails there. 

The study of this fidl and impartial Eeport shows how all- 
important the American authorities regard this question, and 
how completely both Government and people rely on the 
diffusion of the means of education for the success of their in- 
stitutions, and the general prosperity of the comitry. 

All the thought, care, and expense which Continental nations 
bestow on military organizations, the Americans seem to throAV 
into the developement of the intelligence of the people by a 
thorough and general system of instruction. With them it 
is not a question of benevolence and charity, but one of 
national policy. Their attitude is like that of a good farmer, 
who spares no expense, or care, in preparing and tilling the 
land he cultivates, and in choosing the seed he sows. 

The following brief outline, extracted almost literally from 
the Eeport (and the Notes and Appendices thereto), while 
it will give some idea of the American system, can give none of 
the valuable information,' — the facts, and opinions collated in 
the book itself. Every one who is interested in this important 
question of securing instruction for our people, should read 



IV. 

this Eeport, to see how effectually our brethren across the 
Atlantic have solved a similar problem. 

The methods of instruction in the various States vary con- 
siderably in matters of detail, but the Public school system of 
Massachusetts may be taken as a fair specimen of the whole. 

To the far seeing wisdom of the founders of the colony of 
Massachusetts Bay, the United States of America owe the grand 
idea of Free Common School Education. In 1642, only 
22 years after the landing of the pilgTim fathers, a public Act 
was passed, placing upon the Municipal authorities the duty of 
seeing that every child within their various jiirisdictions should 
be educated ; each citizen was compelled, under a penalty of 
twenty shillings for each neglect therof, to have liis children 
and apprentices taught so much learning as should enable them 
perfectly to read the English tongue and obtain a knowledge 
of the capital laws. In 1647 a law was passed which was the 
foundation of the present system ; by it every townshi]) con- 
taining fifty householders was compelled to appoint a teacher 
to enable all such children as should resort to him to read and 
write. A township of one hundred families was required to set 
up a grammar school, whose master should " be able to instruct 
youth so far as they might be fitted for the University." There 
were penalties for non-compliance with this law, which were 
increased from time to time to correspond with the increasing 
wealth of the township. 

Before the late civil war, the American School system was 
only partially adopted in the border States, and in the Southern 
States it was scarcely found at aU. Gov. Haunnond, of South 
Carolina declared in his message to the State Legislature " that 
the Free School system did not suit the peoj)le, the government, 
or the institutions of the State." 

There is a decided preference for female teachers in America, 
who are found very efficient, and whose services cost less than 



those of masters. During the civil war, though large numbers 
of teachers (3,000 in the State of Pefmsylvania alone) went 
into the army, yet the schools did not suffer, but were simply 
handed over to the care of mistresses and female teachers. 

The requirements of the Massachusetts School law are as 
follows : — 

I.—" That in every township, there shall be kept for at least 
six months in each year, at the expense of tlie township, by a 
teacher or teachers of competent ability and good morals, a 
sufficient number of Schools for the instruction of all tlie 
children who may legally attend public sclir.ol therein, in or- 
thography, reading, Aviiting, English grammar, geograpliy, 
aritlimetic, the history of the United States, and good beha- 
viour. Algebra, vocal music, drawing, pliysiology, hygiene, 
(and, T)y a recent addition, agriculture,) shall be taught by 
lectures, or otherwise, in all the public Schools in which the 
Committee deem it exj)edient." 

II- — " Every township may, and every township containing 
live hundred families or houseliolders shall, besides the school 
prescribed in the preceding section, maintain a school, to be 
kept by a master of competent ability and good morals, who, 
in addition to the branches of knowledge before-mentioned, 
shaU give instruction in general history, book-keeping, survey- 
ing, geometry, natural philosophy, chemistry, botany, the civil 
polity of tliis Commonwealth and of the United States, and the 
Latin language. Such school shall be kept for the benefit of 
all the inhabitants of the township ten months at least, exclusive 
of vacations, in each year ; and at such convenient place, or 
alternately at such places in the township as the legal voters at 
their annual meeting determine. And in every township con- 
taining four thousand inhabitants, the teacher or teachers of 
the schools required by this section shall, in addition to the 
branches of instruction before required, be competent to give 



VI. 



insti-uction in the Greek and Frencli languages, astronomy, 
geology, rhetoric, logic, intellectvial and moral science, and 
political economy. Two adjacent townships having each less 
than five hundred families or householders, may form one High 
School district for establishing such a school as is contemplated 
in the preceding section, when a majority of the legal voters 
of eacli township, in meetings called for that purpose, so 
determine." 

III. — " Any township may establish and maintain in addition 
to the schools required by law to be maintained therein, schools 
for the education of persons over fifteen years of age ; may de- 
termine the term or terms of time in each year, and the hours 
of the day or evening during which the said school shaU be 
kept ; and appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary 
for the support thereof." 

Eveiy State in which the Common School system exists, has 
a School Fund arising from various sources, such as sale of 
lands, direct and indirect taxation, fines, penalties, and forfeit- 
ures. This fund is invested either in the State Legislature, a 
Board of Education, or in officers especially appointed for the 
purpose. In Massachusetts it is intended that this fund shall 
ultimately reach the sum of 2,000,000 dollars. In Jan., 1864 
it amounted to more than 1,000,000 and produced an income 
of 111,124 dollars. Of this amount, about 11,000 dollars were 
added to the principal, a half of the remainder was applied to 
the support of four Normal Schools, for State Scholarships, for 
training Masters for the High Schools, and to Indian Schools : 
the other half was applied to the Common Schools of the 
State. Each township receives as its share of the grant so much 
per head for each child between the ages of five and fifteen, 
provided that such township has raised at least one and a liaK 
dollars per head by local taxation, and has made the proper 
annual returns to the Secretarv of the Board of Education. 



Vll. 



Eate Bills, or Children's School Fees as we should call them, 
are not properly a part of the American system, which is a fre,c 
system, but they are allowed in some parts — in New York State, 
in Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Public opinion seems 
against these bills ; the New York State Superintendent speaks 
very strongly against them, and declares that " the odious rate 
" bill is a serious impediment in the way of attendance at 
" schools, and whatever other means may be employed to secure 
" the education of all the youths of the State, the Free School 
" at least is absolutely essential to the accomplishment of that 
" all-important end." 

As soon as the public lands are surveyed, they are laid out 
into townships six miles square ; one portion of this land is 
called the School Section, and is given by the United States 
Government in trust for the support of Schools in that town- 
ship. In some States the income from this source is consider- 
able ; in the State of Ohio in 1864 it averaged 160 dollars to 
each toAvnship. 

The Central or United States Government by the 
Agricultural Act of 1862, granted to each State an immense 
quantity of land for the purpose of endowing, supporting, and 
maintaining at least one College in each state " where the 
" leading objects shall be, without excluding other scientific 
" and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach 
" such branches of learning as are related to agricultural, and 
" the mechanic arts, in such manner as the Legislatures of the 
" States may respectively prescribe, in order to promote the 
"liberal and practical education of the industrial classes 
" in the several pursuits and professions of life." 

The chief support, however, of the public school is the 
amount raised in the township, or district in which it lies. 
The several townships are bound at their annual meeting to 
vote sufficient money to be raised by taxation, for the support 



VIU. 



of sucli scliools as .shall be judged necessary. The support of 
tliese schools is eompidsory, and townships refusing or neglect- 
ing to raise tlie money, or refusing, or neglecting to choose a 
committee, are liable to penalties. In a few States the amount 
raised by rates for School purposes is limited by law. The 
townships in the Western States have a much smaller sum to 
raise by local taxation than those in the Eastern, in consequence 
of tlie State grants being larger, and of the income from the 
sale or rent of tlie " School Section" alluded to, which is one 
sixteenth of the land contained in each township. 

The population of the State of Massachusetts in 1860, was 
1,231,022 ; its property valuation about 898 million dollars, 
on which was levied a school tax of about one and a half 
million dollars. In Boston the amount appropriated for 
the support of schools for the year 1865 was 485,000 dollars, 
or one-eighth of the total income raised by taxation. 

For the city of IS^ew York tlie ordinary annual amount of tax- 
ation for all purposes was ten million dollars (it is higher now, 
being about eighteen millions, on account of the war) ; of this 
amount, two million dollars were appropriated for the ScIiooIsl 
In Ohio, in 1863, the whole taxation was about ten miUiou 
dollars — more tlian one-fifth of which was spent on Schools* 

The whole management of the Schools in a township w 
placed in the hands of a School Committee, consisting of any 
number devisible by three, one-third of whom are elected an- 
nually. They are paid a salary in cities of one dollar, in town- 
sliips of one and a half dollars per day, for the time they are 
actually employed in discharge of their duties. These duties 
are, in the words of the Act, " to select, contract with, examine, 
" give certificates to, and, in case of need, dismiss teachers ; to 
** visit all the public schools in the township twice in the term, 
" to see that the scholars are properly supplied with books, and 
" once a month to enquire into the regulation and discipline 



IX. 



"of the schools, and the habits and proficiency of the 
"scholars therein; to direct what books shall be used in 
" the schools, subject to this limitation — that no hook cal- 
" culated to favor the tenets of any ^:?«?'«Jic?<-^ar sect of 
"Christians shall Ic 2yurchascd or used; and to require the 
" daily reading of some porticm of the Bible in the common 
"English version." They are further bound to appoint a 
secretary, who shall record in a book, all their votes, orders, 
and proceedings ; they have also to procure, at the expense of 
the township, a sufficient sup])ly of books (which are purchased 
by the scholars at cost price, except poor children, who re- 
ceive them free) and also such apparatus, books of reference, 
&c., as may be deemed necessary. Any city or township may 
require the Committee annually to appoint a Superintendent of 
Public Schools, who under its direction and control shall have 
the supervision of the schools and receive such salary as the 
local authorities shall decide on, but in this case the Committee 
shall receive no compensation unless otherwise provided by the 
city or township. 

In 1789 an Act was passed by the legislature of Massachusetts 
with good intentions, but as experience has proved, with bad 
results. This Act authorized the division of townships into 
districts for school purposes. ■ It was found that in townships 
where the population was sparse and scattered, there was diffi- 
culty in collecting the children in any one place for instruction, 
and that separate districts would be more convenient for the 
purpose. By later legislation in 1817 and 1827 these districts 
were made into corporations, and empowered to elect Com- 
mittees, to whom were made over the schools, &c. The evils 
of this scheme are found to be the double management by the 
township committee and the district committee, the unnecessary 
multiplication of schools, and inequality in levying the taxes — 
many poor districts of a townsliip being rated heavily for schools 



while in the richer districts the rates are light. Every dis- 
tricted townshijD, however, is at periods required to take a vote 
on the question whether this organization shall be continued, 
or abolished ; and Horace ]\Iann reports that several townships 
have done away with the districts, and assumed the administra- 
tion ot their schools in their corporate capacity ; and many 
others are contemplating the same change. Mr. Boutwell, in 
his report, " trusts that the day will speedily be seen when every 
towTiship in its mimicipal capacity will again manage its schools 
and equalize the expenses of education." The district arrange- 
ment arises from the extreme and excessive dislike of the 
Americans to any kind of centralization, though there are not 
wanting those who would place in the hands of a bureau 
attached to the State Government the whole matter of educating 
the children, building the schools, employing teachers, com- 
pelling the attendance of children, &c., &c. 

Eespecting the attendance of scholars, the laws of Massa- 
chusetts are precise and peremptory, and not only secure to 
each child — regardless of race, colour, or religion — the right of 
admission into the school, but they attempt to enforce by fines 
and penalties the duty of the parents in this respect. The 
truant officers and the school committee are bound to give 
notice of any violation of these laws, to the treasurer of tlie city 
or to^vnship, who is bound under a penalty of twenty dollars to 
prosecute the offender. 

Notwithstanding these laws however, truantism exists very 
largely ; complaints are made by the Agent of the Massachusetts 
Board of Education that the laws respecting non-attendance 
are not put in force as strictly as they should be. In some 
townships they are faithfully executed with the happiest results ; 
while in others they are overlooked or disregarded. This 
matter is receiving attention in many quarters, the educationists 
especially demand that the laws respecting compulsoiy attend-. 



XI. 

ance shall be strictly enforced ; they argue that if the State 
taxes the community for the support of schools "for the 
security of society " it has the right to compel the attendance 
of those children for whom such schools are provided. 

It is very difficult to get the average cost of each scholar, 
the returns from the States being so various and the bases of 
calculations so different. In some parts books are provided, 
free of cost; in others they are sold to the scholars at cost 
price; in some districts the salaries of teachers are much 
higher than in others. JNIr. Fraser has, however, taken great 
pains and much lalx^r to get information on this subject, he 
has compiled a table showing in 11 Cities, and 2 States, the 
average total cost of each child in each of the three grades of 
schools. The following are the figures, reckoning the dollar 
worth from 3s. to 3s. 3d. sterling : average cost of a child for 
all grades in the Common School, £1 lis. 6d. for tuition only ; 
for incidental expenses, twelve shillings, making a total of 
£2 3s. 6d. per annum, say at the outside £2 10s. In the 
High School, which is the American type of a school suitable 
for the education of the children of the middle class, to which 
children are generally admitted at the age of twelve or 
thirteen, and remain till they are seventeen or eighteen ; the 
average cost appears to be for boys about £9 9s., for girls 
about £5 10s. per annum. 

In the rural districts the cost per child is much less than in 
the to^vns ; in some districts an American farmer can educate 
his children at a cost to the community of not more than ten 
shillings each per annum. In the State of Illinois with 9,811 
schools, 15,000 teachers, and 516,000 scholars, the average is 
about thirteen shillings per annum per child.* 

* Mr. Fraser remarks: — "The full cost to tlie parents, which I was 
particularly charged to estimate, cannot be estimated at all, because the cost 
being defrayed by taxation is proportional to the property of the parent, and 
not to the number of children he sends to school." 



xu. 

Local organization and management is the basis of the 
American Common School system ; the central Government 
of each State generally defines and constitutes the school 
machinery, and then transfers most of its powers to it. It gives 
the annual grant to each school on the conditions before alluded 
to, and keeps up a system of visiting and inspection ; but it 
stimulates rather than controls. This weakness of action od 
the part of the central State Government is felt to be a flaw in 
the American system. A central authority, similar to our own 
Privy Council, with a body of indej^endent inspectors, with 
powers similar to those given in Englaml, is a want acknow- 
ledged by many. In large cities this want is supplied by a 
City Superintendent, and the State of New York, acting 
through its Superintendent of Public Instruction, has recently 
exercised much more authority, with the best results as to 
economy and efficiency. The Ncav York administration is the 
largest local Education Board of Management in the world, 
and its operations are very remarkable. It has to regidate 
fifty-three ward schools, containing on an average more than 
one thousand scholars each; forty-one detached primaiy schools ; 
nine colored schools; twelve reformatory schools; and the 
Pree Academy containing eight hundred young men. It has 
to examine, license, pay, and superintend 2,300 teachers. It 
disbursed in 1864 nearly £300,000 sterling; and 208,000 
children are reported to have been taught in its schools during 
the year. 

The American Schools are commonly divided into classified 
and unclassified, graded and imgraded schools. The imclassified 
school is only found in the most backward rural districts ; its 
organization is very defective. The classified ungraded school 
is one in which the children are arranged in classes similar to 
our English custom. In the graded school the scholar passes 
fromthe Primaiy School, into the Grammar or Secondary School, 



XIU. 

and from that again into the High Scliool, which completes the 
course, and fits him for the IJ niversity. Each of these divisions 
or schools is divided into grades ; the promotion from one grade 
to another occurring at fixed periods, and always the result of 
examinations. The Primary School is divided into about six 
grades, the Grammar or Secondary School into about four. It 
takes about thirteen years to go through the whole course • 
from five to eighteen years of age. As a rule a child enters 
the Primary School at five or six years of age, the Grammar 
School at eight or nine, and the High School at twelve or 
thirteen. 

Comparatively few American children, however, go through 
the whole course of education provided for them, poor parents 
not being able, as a ride, to allow their children to remain long 
enough. One of the New York Superintendents computes that 
not more than half the children who leave the Primary School 
enter the Grammar School, and a much smaller number still 
complete their education in the High School. There is no 
uniform practice for the separation of the sexes in American 
schools ; in Primary Schools generally the boys and girls are 
mixed, in Grammar and High Schools they are generally kept 
separate, but there are many exceptions to this rule when both 
in Grammar and High Schools the sexes are mixed. 

Most States in which the Common School system exists 
have Normal Schools for the training of teachers, but the 
number of students in them is quite unequal to the demand. 
Teachers, however, are procured from other sources besides the 
Normal Schools ; many pass from the High Schools, and even 
from the upper classes of the Grammar Schools, direct to the 
charge of schools, without any special training. Every teacher 
of an aided school must have a certificate, but these are as 
different as possible from the certificates of our English teachers, 
being granted by the School Committee, or by examiners, who 



XIV. 



by examination, sometimes veiy brief, simply satisfy themselves 
of the competency of the person they are about to employ. 
Mr. Eraser's remarks on the religious tone of the schools will 
be judged according to the religious opinions of the reader. 
Believing, as he does, in the denominational system at home 
he thinks, nevertheless, that it would be a fatal piece of advice 
to recommend its adoption in America, and concludes by stating 
that with all its drawbacks " the American system is stiU con- 
tributing powerfully to the developement of a nation, of which 
it is no flattery or exaggeration to say that it is, if not the most 
highly educated, yet certainly the most generally educated and 
intelligent people on the earth," 



REMARKS 

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 

COMMOIf SCHOOLS IN ENGLAI^D. 



I 



N considering the American system of education, so clearly- 
laid down in tlie official rejoort, one leading conclusion is 
forced upon us ; it is, tliat the Americans have secured what for 
years we have been striving after— a scheme by which the people 
are soundly and universally educated. It is hard to conceive 
why a method which has generally succeeded so well with a 
kindred people should not be equally effective with us. In 
adopting the principle of the American Common School system, 
certain details could be, and would have to be, altered to adapt 
it to the different habits of our people, and the different form 
of our government. Our position in England is* this ; after 
years of zealous labor by those engaged in the work, after much 
fruitless controversy, and a great deal of legislation, the 
educational condition of the people remains in a state which 
is filling every thinking mind with dissatisfaction and alarm. 

We have a system under which, at its best, education ad- 
vances but slowly, and in many districts of the nation it is 
scarcely progressing at all. 

The question of education in England has by some means 
become so associated with the clergy, and with ministers of 
various sects, that it seems a settled matter that no system can 
be adopted except it be agreed to and approved by them. 
This has arisen, doubtless, from the fact, that these gentlemen 
have, with great labour and zeal, been performing a duty which 
belongs not only to them, but equally to every responsible 
member of the community. While every man is bound to 



16 

advance this question to the utmost of his power, and while 
ministers of religion may be expected to be specially active in 
the matter, yet it must be held that no body of men can derive 
from their office or profession, any right to prescribe conditions 
on which education shall be given or witheld. A sound and 
effectual system of education seems to demand four conditions : 
1st. — That each district, parish, or town, or whatever division 
may be resolved on, should be compelled by law to 
provide Schools for the children of that division. 
2nd.— That these Schools should be absolutely free. 
3rd. — That children should be compelled to attend Schools 
so provided for them, uidess receiving instruction 
throuo-h some other channel. 
4th.— That such Schools sliould be purely secular, or at least 

unsectaiian. 
The number of persons who maintain that the education of 
the people, is not a matter for the State to interfere with 
is becoming smaller and sn\aller. Even the strongest advocates 
of voluntaryism as a sufticieut means of educating the people, 
find their position no longer tenable.* Every argument, whether 

* It must be admitted however that education apparently advanced more 
rapidly before the system of Government grants was introduced, than 
it has done since. Lord Brougham in the debate of 1835, showed that the 
children attending schools had increased from 478,000 in 1818, to 1,114,000 
in 1828 ; while the number of schools had risen ivctm. 14,000 to 31,000 in the 
same period. The tinkering interference of Government, commenced 
in 1839, while enough to damp the energy of voluntary effort, has been 
altogether insufficient to secure the objects aimed at. The State should 
have done nothing imless it intended to act effectually ; it gave the public 
the idea that it had taken in hand the education of the people, while 
it really measured its aid by that vokdtary effort, which it was taking the 
most effectual means to diminish. But this is no argument in favour of 
voluntaryism ; it simply shcAvs that it cannot thrive at its full, coupled with 
State aid. Voluntary effort, if left to itself, is capable of producing great 
results, but it is altogether mequal to the work reiiuii-ed, to say nothing of 
the unfairness of thro^viug on a comparatively few people the trouble and 
expense of performing a duty that belongs to all. 



17 

in favoiu' of promoting the happiness of the people, the welfare 
and the security of society, or its generalprogress and prosperity, 
tends to shew beyond doubt that it is the great duty of the 
State to see that every child is provided with the means of 
instruction. 

The neglect of this duty not only deprives ^poor childi^en of 
the power to pursue, on equal terms with others, their own 
happiness and welfare, but also " robs the nation of the power, 
security, and wealth which educated minds bring." 

If it be admitted that the State should compel each district 
(on certain assistance being given) to provide schools for its 
children; it seems to follow as a natural consequence that 
such schools should be free ; if they are not so, great difficulties 
must arise. Who shall decide what children need help? 
Wliose duty shall it be to determine the amount of help 
needed ? Wliat shall be done with the poor and the proud 
who will keep theii- children from school, rather than admit 
their inability to pay ? How hard for the struggling portion of 
the ratepayers to pay for their own children, and also to provide 
education for others but little worse off than themselves. The 
effect of paying for a certain class only would be to degrade the 
recipients by the badge of poverty, and to render discontented 
and to demoralize those just above them, for whose children 
payment was denied, but who would surely feel themselves 
aggrieved by the denial, and who, if summoned to answer for 
not sending theii- children to school, would plead poverty as 
the excuse. Such a system would keep poor but clever 
boys from the higher schools and higher branches of 
instruction, for it could not be expected that the fees would be 
paid by any school committee, in those more expensive stages 
of education. It would make a keen and clever boy feel that 
he was an object of charity, and that he was receiving instruc- 
tion as a privilege and not as a right— thus wounding the 

B 



18 

sense of self-respect, which it is the first object of education to 

guard. Finally, it is opposed to the idea of a national, or 

pubHc school system, which has for its object the fullest 

developement of the mental, and moi-al resources, and the 

natural intelligence of the whole community regardless of rank 

or wealth. But make the education free, and the difficulties 

disappear. With good graded schools, as in America, divided 

into primary^ grammar or secondary, and high schools, all 

classes would have equal advantages and the ratepayers their 

money's worth. The middle class would not demur at being 

taxed for a system wliich, while it gives the industrial classes 

free instruction, also secures to their own children a superior 

education for nothing. The richer classes would not complain, 

as they would have the advantages of the High School, which 

would give their children a first-class education and prepare 

them for the University. Tliis supposes that there would be 

no social difficulty in getting children of various classes to mix 

together, or in getting the middle and upper classes to send 

their children to free schools. The experience which we have 

at present sufficiently settles these questions. If the prunary 

schools are good and free, the industrial classes, and lower middle 

classes at least will send their children to them ; if the richer 

portion of the community object to do so, they have only to give 

their cliildren elementary teaching by some other means, at their 

own expense, and so enable them to enter directly, after due 

examination, into the grammar or secondary schools. The 

necessities of the parents will cause poor children as a rule to be 

removedfrom school altogether at an early age, and comparatively 

few of them would continue beyond the primary school into the 

secondary, so that these latter would be used almost 

exclusively by the middle and wealthier classes, while the 

high school in its turn would be used by the children who 

could remaia under instruction till eighteen or nineteen years 



19 



of age, and who might go from thence to the University also 
Iree, m which the whole system might culminate. Under 
this scheme there would be no wasted talent or faculty • a child 
no matter how poor, if he had superior capabHities, or special 
aptitudes, could have every opportunity for their developement 
that the best education could give. Of course many would be 
found, as in America, who would prefer to send their children 
to private schools ; but these schools, to succeed, must be veiy 
good, or their pupils could not successfuUy compete with those 
educated in the public schools. The fact of schools being free 
would not prevent their being used by the children of the richer 
classes ; it does not at present in the case of free gTammar, and 
other endowed schools, much less would it in the case of rate- 
supported schools. It is argued that if schools were free 
parents would not value them; on the contraiy, the decent 
and thrifty poor would prize the boon when they knew the 
schools were free to aU, and not to them alone, on account 
of poverty ; while the other, or lower classes of poor, need not 
be considered,-they neither think nor care about schools at 
all, nor would they do so under any scheme adopted— besides, 
the system though free would not be eleemosynaiy, for being 
rate supported, all would have to pay towards its maintenance"^ 
and greater interest would therefore be taken in schools than 
is now the case. It is simply absurd to caU such a system 
"demoraHzing." It would be on the principle of our Free 
PubHc Libraries, for the support of which aU are rated, and 
which aU are at liberty to use.* The present system may 
justly be termed a demoralizing one, for whHe it benefits but 
comparatively few of the poorest chUdren for whom it was 
intended, it freely pays a portion of the school fees of 

* In Birmingliam tlie total average issue from all the Free Libraries is now 
considerably over 1,000 vols, per day, and the number of persons who visit 
tne JNews Rooms is about 4,000 per day. 



20 

children whose parents are weU able to pay, and who, in the 
absence of such a system, would wiUingly do so. 

The next feature in connection with a public school system 
is the compulsory attendance of the cliildren. It would appear 
at first sight, without any argument, that if it is the duty of 
the State to provide schools for children, it is also a duty to see 
that children make use of them* If an educated people is con- 
sidered necessary, then the State should reqwive (and enforce 
the requirement where necessary, by fines and penalties) that 
parents should cause tlieii^ children to be instructed. We may 
admit that it is the duty of parents to educate their children, 
but still maintain that it is the province of the Government to 
provide the means, and having done that, to insist on the 
duty being done. The State protects children from their 
parents in the cases of cruelty, neglect, or starvation ; it de- 
prives of liberty and punishes in the case of WTong domg, and 
surely it has both the right and the obligation to interfere and 
prevent children being reared in that state of ignorance, of 
which crime is known to be the natural consequence, Com- 
pulsion, when free schools are offered, is only necessary, is 
only to be demanded in reference to bad and worthless 
parents, and in those cases it is simply protecting the 
weak against the strong. A child young and innocent has 
no wish or intention of growing up into a bad man or woman, 
but it is contended that the parent has the absolute right 
to rear it in such condition, that escape from so growing up is 
utterly hopeless. From this point of view, a prison in so far as it 
contains uninstructed criminals, is a sign of neglected duty 

^■- " The number of scholars in average attendance, however, amounts to less 
than half the number for whom there is school-room accommodation, a fact 
well deserving the attention of those who think that the gi-eat problem of 
public education is to be solved by the simple process of providing good 
schools in sufficient numbers."— <?cHcraZ Meport for the year 1S67, by Her 
Majesty's School Ins2)cctor for the County of Yorl; G. J. Fitch, Esq., M.A. 



21 

on the part of Government. The argument that compulsion 
is un-English, and would not be borne with, Avill not stand a 
moment's consideration ; the force of that argument ceases the 
moment we look into the nature of the legislation of recent 
times, into our Sanitary laws, Vaccination Bill, Eeformatory 
and Industrial Schools Act, Factory and Workshop Bills, &c. 
Unfortunately the superiority of foreign workmen in the matter 
of education is making us familiar with many un-English 
things, un-English lace, un-English machinery, un-English 
silks, &c. 

If crime is the result of ignorance, and society has to bear 
the expense of the criminal and suffer by his practices, there 
seems to be little doubt of the right and the policy of destroy- 
ing ignorance and crime together, by means of instruction 
freely offered, and forced on those who refuse it. A compid- 
sory law applied for one generation would render that law 
almost superfluous for ever after ; for once get an educated 
people, and education will be one of the first things such 
people will he eager to secure for their children. Wliy should 
an untaught man value instruction for his child ? If he does 
so at all, it is from hearing or seeing that there are certain 
undefined advantages connected with it, and not from any per- 
sonal feeling or experience of its value. Were a man devoid 
of the sense of hunger or cold, he would set small store on food 
or clothes, except from imitation or some such motive. Our 
great difficulty lies with the mass of ignorance and indifference 
passing on from parent to child, from one generation to 
another — a link in which miserable chain can only be broken 
by a compulsory law. 

Dr. Temple opposes compulsion on the ground that it woidd 
" create a new crime." It certainly would do so, and that is 
what we want; we want it deeply instilled into the minds of the 
people that it is a crime, and will be punished as such, for a 



22 

parent (without due excuse being shown) to bring up his 
children in ignorance. Modern legislation has been creating 
" new crimes " in this direction with the happiest results. 
Years ago when a Eoyal Commission reported that little 
children six years old were working in coal mines, harnessed 
with girdle and chain to coal trucks, suffering terrible cruelties 
under ground, and " stretcliing out their tiny hands in vain " 
for help ; when the horrors of the poor pit boy's, and pit girl's 
life were by the same report revealed, the legislature speedily 
created "a new crime" by forbidding the employment of women 
and children in mines at all. No one can deny that the 
compulsory system as far as it has been tried in our Factory 
Acts, our Industrial Schools Acts, and other measures, has 
been a great success ; the enlightened opinions of those who 
carried those measures in spite of all opposition, in spite of 
resistance on the grounds of a false political economy, have 
been fully vindicated by the unmixed blessings which have been 
the result. We are beginning to have clearer views on these 
matters, to see that children and helpless persons have rights, 
which the State ought to protect, and of these the dearest 
is that embodied in Earl Eussell's resolution in the House of 
Lords. " Every child has a right to the blessings of education 
" and it is the duty of the State to guard and maintain that 
" right, which ought not to be hindered by religious differences 
" nor should the early employment of the young in labor be 
" allowed to deprive them of education."* 

* Mr. A. Field, Chainnan of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, who 
is well acquainted with America, states that the laws of Massachusetts re- 
specting compulsory attendance are very generally enforced, but not until 
pursuasion has been fully tried. He states that in Boston there are four 
boys' policemen or truant officers, to whom the school authorities give the 
names of all absentees ; these officers visit the parents of the absent child, 
explain the law and remonstrate with them, and generally succeed in get- 
ting the child to school ; but in the few cases in which pursuasion is not 
sufficient, the law is immediately enforced. In Boston there are from 40 to 
70 children annually convicted of "stubborn truancy" and sent to a kind 
of Reformatory School. 



23 

The reports of her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools in the 
various districts in England and Wales, seem to agree that the 
present system fails completely in securing the attendance of 
the children of the poor with any regularity sufficient for the 
purpose of imparting instruction, and they seem to point to 
compulsory means as the only remedy. 

It would be difficult to find a more able and painstaking 
body of men than our School Inspectors ; and their opinions, 
given as they are under the sense of official responsibility, are 
entitled to special notice. 

Eev. H. W. Bellairs, Her Majesty's Inspector of Church of 
England Schools for Berks and Oxon, reports as follows, 
" My own conviction is, that until some means are devised to 
secure regular attendance for the cliildren of the poor from 
four to eleven years of age, a very large amount of exertion 
and money will be wasted, and our jails, penitentiaries, and 
reformatories will show our shortcomings, by the presence of 
a mass of inmates untrained and untaught." 

Eev. J, Eice Byrne, M.A., Inspector of Church of England 
Schools for the County of Gloucester, reports as follows 
"The early age at which children leave school, remains, as 
ever, an insuperable obstacle to any progress in national 
education which shaU neither disappoint our expectations, 
nor be to a certain extent illusory. Except in legislative 
interference I see no remedy for so deplorable a condition 
of things." 

Eev. Geo. French, M.A,, Inspector of Church of England 
Schools for North and East Eiding of Yorkshire, reports as 
follows, " Loud and continual are the complaints of managers 
and teachers, of their almost entire inability to give anything 
like instruction which wlU be of permanent good, to children 
who attend so irregularly." 

Eev. K Gream, M.A., Inspector of Church of England 



24 

Schools for Essex and Suffolk, reports as follows, "It has 
been pressed on me that many of the children of the agricul- 
tural labourers are kept from school, and consequently brought 
up almost destitute of education, by the inability of their 
fathers to resist the solicitations and threats of employers, who 
regardless of the education of such children, urge their fathers 
to send their boys into the field instead of to school. * * * 
It would be found, on enquiry, that children's earnings do their 
parents very little good in consequence of the extra food and 
clothing required by children at w^ork." 

Eev. W. W. Howard, Inspector of Church of England 
Schools for Devon and Dorsetshire, reports as follows, " The 
chief hindrances in the way of education throughout the West 
of England, are the irregular attendance of the children, and. 
the early age at which they leave school. With wages rangmg 
from nine to eleven shillings per week, one can hardly wonder 
at the bad econoniy which leads the agricultural labourers to 
send their children to work, as soon as they can earn a few 
pence. AVliere lace-making and gloving are rife, many girls 
never go to school at all, and live their lives and pass away to 
a hereafter in a state of ignorance which is a disgrace to 
humanity. I have no hope for much improvement in this 
state of things until we have legislative measures which will 
make education compulsory. One often hears that compulsory 
education is un-English ; I hold it to be much more un-English 
to allow our people to live their lives in a state of brutal 
ignorance. With compulsory education would come most likely 
a separation of the secular and religious elements of instruction. 
I believe that both elements would be better cared for thereby, 
and there are probably many clergymen who give much of their 
time, and more of their money than they can afford, to their 
schools, would think with me. Those who would clamour most 
against the separation, would be those who seldom set foot in 



25 

their schools, or whose schools are so had that they dare not 
face an examination." 

Kev. E. L. Koe, Inspector of Church of England Schools for 
Kent and Sussex, reports as follows, " It is not, however, alto- 
gether the fault of the parents that children are removed from 
school at such an early age. From the scarcity of hands, the 
farmers have in some instances refused to employ the parents 
if they could not have also the services of the hoys." 

Eev. H. A. Pickard, M.A., Inspector of Church of England 
Schools in Yorkshire, reports as foUows, " I wish further steps 
could he taken to make attendance compulsory by Act of 
Parliament." 

Eev. H. E. Sandford, M.A., Inspector of Church of England 
Schools for Worcestershire and Staffordshire, reports as foUows, 
" My own impression is, which is confirmed by what I hear in 
various parts of the country, — that children now leave school 
at an earlier age than ever." 

There are many who contend that indirect compulsion 
through the agency of the Factory Acts, Industrial Schools 
Acts, etc., win sufficiently secure attendance at schooL The 
effect of the Factory and Workshops Acts in this respect has 
been very much over estimated. The Birmingham Education 
Society which was originated by Mr. Geo. Dixon, one of the 
Members for the borough, has made careful enquiries with a 
view to ascertain the probable number of children affected by 
these Acts. Of 15,000 children visited, 1,542 or about 
10 per cent., between the ages of eight and thirteen were at 
work, earning on an average two shillings and threepence per 
week ; of these probably 500 were engaged as errand boys, and 
nurse girls, leaving about 1,000, or 7 per cent., who would be 
affected by the Acts. 

In twelve wards of the borough, containing a population of 
843,948, there are, according to the proportion adopted by the 



26 

Committee of Council {i.e. one-sixth of the population), above 
67,000 children who ought to be at school; but we find there 
is only school accommodation for 29,275 and this is more than 
is used, for the average attendance is only 18,531, or about 
32 1 per cent, of the whole number who should be at school, 
and about 1 in 18 of the whole population* In Prussia the 
average attendance is 1 in 6.25 of the whole population, and 
the school age is from six to fourteen, while with us all children 
are reckoned, from infants to thirteen years of age. Perhaps 
of all reasons why a poor child is not at school, that of his 
being at work is the most valid ; why then do those who ad- 
vocate Factory Acts as measures of compulsion affecting a 
child at work, so stoutly resist compulsory laws which would 
apply to the idle or neglected children who are neither at work 
nor at school. Special cases are brought forward to instance 
the difficulty of working a compulsory law, such for example as 
that of the eldest girl of a poor family, kept at home to nurse, 
and assist in household duties ; such cases might be met by a 
modification of the half-time system, by which such a girl 
might have two or three hours per day at school, and still 
fulfil the duties at home. 

The fourth and last condition of the Common Public School 
system is, that schools shaU be secular, or at least unsectarian, 
that no theological tenets of any kind shall be taught. Purely 
secular schools would be more complete and desirable than 
unsectarian, as the latter admits the authorized version of the 
Scriptures, which would be objected to by the Jews and Eoman 
Catholics ; besides which, the use of the Bible as a mere read- 
ing book is a questionable good. In noticing this fourth con- 
dition, we approach the real difficulty in the whole matter, the 
rock on which every attempt at national education has split. 

* Private and boarding schools are not reckoned in this calculation, 
these would make the proportion better, perhaps about 1 in 17 or 16. 



27 

From 1835, when the efforts of Lord Brougham were frustrated, 
down to the latest attempt at legislation on tliis matter, the 
so-called " religious question " has destroyed every prospect of 
a successful settlement. In 1843 the valuable educational 
clauses in Sir Jas. Graham's Factory Bill were successfully op- 
posed and defeated, mainly by the Dissenters ; but this oppo- 
sition, it must be confessed, was the direct result of the attitude 
of the Churchmen on this occasion, who, while " making con- 
cessions," held the language and assumed the position of 
ascendancy. Again, and again, was the subject debated both 
in and out of Parliament, the discussion always turning on the 
same point, till in 1852 and 1853 the advocates of the secular 
and sectarian systems fought their great fight, nothing was 
done, and the matter slept. Sir Jas. Graham, in his speech on 
the introduction of his Bill in 1843, spoke as follows : — " How 
" is it that such strife, such anger, should be exliibited in the 
" name of religion ? Is it any mark of sincerity either in 
" Churchmen or Dissenters, that they should mingle with re- 
" ligion bitter and angry controversy ? In these latter days 
" the sceptic may point with scorn and derision at professing 
" Christians, and observe — ' see how these Christians hate, and 
" despise each other !' Alas, these are the difficulties with 
" which we have to contend. I am aware, for the symptoms 
" are but too evident, that the waters of strife have overflowed, 
" and now cover the land." In this state of things the hon. 
member "offered his Bill as a peace offering," trusting it would 
be received, "and secure an object affecting in the highest 
" degree the temporal and eternal welfare of a great body of 
** our fellow subjects." But the educational clauses were with- 
drawn, the triumph of sects and the ascendancy of Churches 
proved to be higher considerations than "a measure affecting 
" in the highest degree the temporal and eternal welfare of our 
" feUow creatures;" and it is melancholy to reflect, how many 



28 

children have since that day grown up into a life of ignorance, 
pauperism, and crime, from which a course of instruction 
would have saved them. 

The upholders of the present denominational system, mis- 
state the case by calling it a religious system. They represent 
the question between them and their opponents as one of re- 
ligious or non-religious education, Now this is not so ; no one 
wishes an irreligious system of instruction, indeed it is in the 
interests of religion and morality that education is craved for 
the people, by all thouglitful men. The real question is this ; 
shall dogmatic theology be taught in oiu* public schools, or not ? 
shall the time, and the occasion of giving school instruction to 
children, be taken advantage of by any society, or church, or 
body of men, to teach the theological opinions peculiar to it ? 
Were all agreed in those opinions such a demand might be 
conceded, but when what is truth with one, is error with 
another, both professing to derive their views from the 
same source, from Avhich there is no appeal, what hope can 
there be of any harmony in such matters ; especially in these 
modern times, when large numbers of pious men are standing 
aloof from these fixed creeds altogether, and reverently accept- 
ing the ever increasing sum of ascertained truth which thought 
and science have revealed to them. No doubt every denomi- 
nation conscientiously believes itseK to be right, and is quite 
warranted in teaching its particular view^s, but in the proper 
time and place. In most of the best middle class day schools 
in England, sectarian teaching is omitted as out of place, or 
impracticable. "What would be said if the various political 
sections of the conmmnity were to require that their particular 
views should be taught in schools ? Such a demand would be 
almost as reasonable, and quite as practicable, as that for de- 
nominational teaching in free public schools. If we regard 
the education of the people as a matter of State policy and 



29 

ceneral interest, siicli as fortifications, or tlie army and navy, 
then it becomes plain that the clergy, or ministers of any 
denomination, have no more to do with it professionally, than 
have lawyers, or doctors ; and it becomes manifestly nnjnst to 
use the public money for sectarian teaching. 

All must be deeply sensible of the manner in which clergy- 
men of the Church, and ministers of other denominations have 
laboured at school work, the anxiety and self-denial practised, 
the time and money given to obtain school subscriptions, and 
often in vain ; while thousands engaged in trade and money 
making around them, who benefit largely by the results of the 
education given, care nothing and pay nothing towards it. The 
Church clergy have undoubtedly taken the lead in education, 
have built more schools, and given more attention to the work, 
than any other body of men, and on this ground they demand 
that the system they have so worked, and so far developed 
should not be touched, but made the basis of further action. 
This demand though plausible will not bear examination. The 
denominational system having been insisted on, and secular 
schools excluded from State aid, it follows that the Church 
would secure a practical monopoly in the education of the 
people ; for it could not be expected that Nonconformists (even 
if they were willing to accept State aid) having to build and 
maintain their own churches, to pay their own ministers, and 
bear the whole expense of their worship, could compete, in 
setting afloat schools, with an endowed church possessing 
enormous riches and reckoning among its members the most 
wealthy of the land. It is most remarkable, and a proof of 
great zeal, that the Dissenters have done for education so much 
as they have. Besides their unaided schools, we find they 
have been entitled to no mean portion of the Government 
grant. Classified according to denominations the sums 
granted for the year ending March, 1866, were :— 



30 

Scliools connected with Cliurcli of England - £351,498 
Schools connected with British and Foreign Society 58,623 
Wesleyan Schools ------ 28,592 

Eoman Catholic Schools in England - - 26,084 
The advanced position of the Church then in education, is 
the result of laws and conditions that placed the matter practi- 
cally in its hands. The treatment of secular schools has been 
specially unfair. Our system tends to throw the stigma of 
irreligion on them, assumes that morality and religion cannot 
be found in their teaching ; and no matter how sound, and 
complete the instruction given, witholds all pecuniary aid, 
thus refusing to pay for that wliich alone the State should 
recognize.* 

Now if the system had succeeded in imparting a sound and 
general education to our people, little could be said in objec- 
tion, but after many years' trial, it must be admitted to be a 
failure, — a failure so complete, that an immediate alteration is 
felt to be necessary by all ; and though it is contended by its 
upholders that an extension of it, ydth compulsory powers and 
other additions, would secure the ends in view, yet in the face 
of its failure the public have the right and the duty to insist on 
a new scheme altogether. To graft compulsory rating and 

* Tlie present system was a concession to intolerance, and a premium 
to li3rpocrisy. Its conditions were evaded by tlie unscrupulous, aqd upon the 
conscientious it fell heavily. It stamped many of the most excellent 
schools as unworthy of recognition. It was a strange reflection that if a 
school taught that Jesus Christ was an imposter, or that the Messiah was 
yet to come (Jewish) ; that the Trinity was a fable, and the atonement a 
dream, (Unitarian) ; or that the members of the privy councU being heretics, 
were beyond the power of salvation (Koman Catholic), in all these cases 
money could be received from a Christian, Protestant, or orthodox 
Government ; but if the teaching touched only those great laws of Nature 
and Providence which all mankind recognized, if it sought to make the 
children of parents of various creeds, useful and upright members of society, 
but without theological indocti-ination, the State indignantly bid it begone, 
and sent it empty away.— Z»r. W. B. Hodgson, PamphUt addressed 
to Ediccation Commission in 1859. 



31 

attendance on our present denominational system would be 
"the new wine into old bottles," "new cloth on the old 
garment." 

Mr. Bruce's Bill, introduced in April, 1867, proposed to leave 
our present schools untouched ; and any borough or district 
adopting it, would form a School Committee, which would make 
known what additional school accommodation was wanted in 
that district, and if necessary supply the deficiency by means of 
a rate. The discipline and instruction in these new schools 
would be under the control of the Committee, conform- 
able, of course, to the rules and conditions of the General 
Code (which must of necessity be the case with all aided 
schools) and with the addition of a conscience clause. 
The new schools thus provided to be denominational, or 
non-denominational, free or aided as the Committee may 
deem best. A more effective plan could hardly be 
devised for stirring up sectarian discord throughout the 
land. This Board or Committee would be elected by the 
ratepayers, and on the majority of the members would depend 
the character of the schools. The periodical election to this 
Board would offer occasions, particularly in some towns, for the 
most active display of sectarian zeal, and in districts where sects 
are evenly balanced, schools might change with every election, 
—Church of England one year, Wesleyan the next, unsectarian 
the year after; thus, saving faith, so far as it can be em- 
bodied in a creed, would depend on the votes of the ratepayers. 
There is a further objection to this Bill, in that it leaves the 
present schools untouched. Take a small town, or a ward of a 
large borough, where school accommodation is sufficient, but 
where the children do not attend, and where, as is often the 
case, the schools belong to the Church of England. Under a 
compulsory law, though the majority of the inhabitants may 
be Jews, and Nonconformists, they would be compelled to send 



their cliildren to these schools. They could not even have 
others, either imsectarian or of a different denomination, 
because the answer to such an application to the State v^^ould 
})e, — there is sufficient accommodation abeady. The Conscience 
Clause is held up as the grand remedy for all these difficulties. 
Now the adoption of a conscience clause, to be generally and 
effectively applied, woidd be stoutly resisted by many of the 
clergy. The Eev, D. Thomas, Her Majesty's Inspector. of 
Schools for North Wales, says in his report, " The opposition 
of the clergy to the compulsory imposition of a conscience clause 
is abnost unanimous." Indeed it is difficult to see how a 
clergyman, if he truly believes that his creeds and dogmatic 
teaching are of the essence of religion, can admit a conscience 
clause in his school management ; to do so is to compromise 
on a matter that should admit of no compromise, and is liable 
to teach the children that it is of little matter what is, or is not 
believed.* The Church being the dominant sect, and in 
possession of most of the schools, the children of the masses, 
who have no theological opinions, would, under a compulsory 
attendance law, even with a conscience clause, be handed over 
to its teaching ; a course that the Nonconformists would object 
to. Besides grave difficulties of detail in working, a conscience 
clause if it is to be effectual, woidd give rise to a multi- 
plicity of schools in the same districts, founded, not on the 
educational requirements, but the rivalry of sects, in wliich the 
interests of tnie religion could not but suffer. In America 
difficrdties of this sort are carefully guarded against; 
indeed it is a subject of remark, and often of regret, that the 

*Tliese views are confinned by tlie speeches of tlie Arclibisliop of 
Canterbury and Bisbop of Oxford, delivered since the above was \vi-itten, 
at a meeting in connection with the National Society. Viiiual antagonism 
to an effectual conscience clause was expressed ; and the absolute and 
imdeniable right was demanded for the clergjTiian and schoolmaster, to 
teach at all times the doctrines of the Church. 



33 

clergy as a Lody hold themselves aloof from educational matters. 
There are other, and more suitable times to ' teach theology, 
which is a work clearly out of place during the few hours" a 
child is under instruction. If a man put his son to learn a 
trade, no corporation or church steps in, and demands per- 
mission to teach him at the same time certain theological 
opinions ; and why should this be done, when it is a question 
of teaching reading, writing, history, &c.? In arguing this 
matter, it must be constantly borne in mind, that what is 
in dispute is simply the teaching of catechisms and tenets 
peculiar to a certain body of men; religious ideas and feelings, 
bearing on daily life, springing from the personal piety of the' 
teacher, or the inculcation of the great principles of morality 
are not, and have not been called in question, but would be 
encouraged under any method adopted. 

A system then, which, in the words of Mr. Eraser, applied to 
the American schools, " aims at the cultivation of some of the 
" choicest inteUectual gifts bestowed by God on man— the per- 
" ception, taste, memory, judgment, reason— cannot be called 
"an irreligious one." While the same writer observes with 
reference to our own method, " I do not think it can be main- 
" tained that the religious teaching of our schools has produced 
"religious intelligence, or religious stability in our people; 
" at any rate, not in that class of our people who in their school 
" days had most of such teaching," 

If we analyse a Little closely the actual amount of education 
our children are receiving, setting aside mere school-going, and 
taking the number of those only who receive any amount of 
instruction likely to be remembered, and to be of use in after 
life, we shaU find that our present system does not deserve 
the praises given to it, nor the consideration asked for it, but 
that it is in a great measure a delusion. Mr. Mundella, of 
Nottingham, and others, have called attention to the ignorant 
c 



34 

condition of the " yonng persons" in factories, most of whom 
have passed through our schools. In the Third Eeport of the 
Children's Employment Commission, it is remarked that, of 
eighty girls between seven and sixteen years of age, employed 
in one factory, eighty-six per cent, could not read. If we 
examine the report of the Committee of Council on Education, 
we arrive at the conclusion that this state of things, under the 
present system, must of necessity exist. 

The highest, or 6th standard requires that a boy or girl 
shall be able to pass the following examination :— 

Keading. — A short ordinary paragraph in a newspaper, or 
other modem narrative. 

Writing. — Another short paragraph in a newspaper, or other 
modern nai-rative, slowly dictated once, by a few words 
at a time. 

Arithmetic. — A sum in practice, or bills of parcels. 
Kow it will be readily conceded that anything below these very 
moderate requirements does not deserve the name of education ; 
the boy who leaves school below this standard has received no 
instruction lilcely to remain with him, or to be of much use to 
him in after life ; and yet what do we find ? 

In the year ending August 1866, 592,852 children were pre- 
sented for individual examination at the day schools and night 
schools, on account of the annual gmnts, in England and Wales. 
Of these, 20,672 only were examined in the sixth standard, and 
less than 14,000 passed. If we throw over the Arithmetic, 
which is usually a great barrier in passing the examination, re- 
taining only reading and writing, we find that our grand and 
expensive educational machinery, including above 20,000 
trained and efficient teachers, succeeds in turning out annually 
in England and Wales, less than 20,000 children who can read 
a plain newspaper paragraph, and less than 18,000 who can 
write such a paragraph slowly dictated to them. Was there 



35 

ever so great a mountain, and so small a mouse ? If we examine 
farther into the cost, we shall find that our system, judged by 
the results, which is the only common sense way of judging it, 
is of the most expensive character. In producing a certain 
article, a manufacturer charges to the cost of production all tlie 
wasters and failures occurring in the process of manufacture ; 
and reckoning on this principle, and allowing tliat anything 
below the standard aUuded to is useless, or of no permanent 
value, then it costs about £7<S. to instruct a child up to the 
lowest point at which such instruction will be of any use to 
him ; while to enable him only to read a simple newspaper 
paragraph costs about £61. ; and even this does not include 
interest of money spent on the building and furnishing of 
schools, i^early the whole of the sums on which this calculation 
is based are given further on. 

Children leave school so young, that what little they 
have learnt is speedily forgotten, and it is for the opponents 
of compidsory attendance to justify such a sheer waste of 
money.* 

* The Rev. BarharaZincke, Viearof Wherstead, Chaplain in Ordinary to the 
Queen, in his iiiteresting hook, Last Winter in the United States, published since 
the above was written, remarks : ' ' From the Report of the Board of Education 
for the City of New York (1866), it appears that taking together all tlie common 
schools of the City, the Primary, the Grammar, the Coloured, the Evening, the 
Noi'mal, the Corporate, and the Free Academy (now the College of the City of 
New York), there are 227,691 children and young persons receiving education at 
a total cost, including everything, ot about 30s. per head. Are the childi'en in 
England educated so cheaply ? * * * * There can be no doubt 
but that our unmethodical system, notwithstanding our numerous founda- 
tions, costs us much more than their system cost the Americans. Our.s is the 
costliest educational system in the world ; theirs the most economical." And, 
as the results of the two systems, Mr. Zincke remarks : — " Amongst ourselvea 
there is an enormous amount of failure in these primary matters (reading, 
writing, and ciphering), among the Americans there is very little failure in 
them. Tliey teach their scholars to write with so much ease, that we may be 
sure they will never forget or lay aside the use of the pen ; and they teach 
tliem to read with so much ease, and so much with the understanding, that 
we may be sure they will continue to read when they have left school. Do 
our schools accomplish this ? " 



36 

The number of schools visited in England and Wales, on 
account of annual grants, in the year ending August 1866 was 
6,694. In the examinations there were above one million 
children present, and the ages of all the children on the registers 
of these schools were as follows : — 

73 per cent, under 10 years of age. 
10 per cent, between 10 and 11 years. 
17 per cent, over 11 years.* 

Of these, 40 per cent, had been in the same schools less than 
one year, 22 per cent, for one year, 15 per cent, for two years, 
10 per cent, for three years, and 13 per cent, for a longer 
period. 

Of 6,504 of these schools from which returns had been 
received, with an average attendance of 884,675 children, the 
total yearly income amounted to £1,181,412. 5s, 9d., or 
£1. 6s. 8M. per scholar in attendance. This sum was raised 
as follows : — 

Voluntary contributions - - £319,239 16 1 

School pence - - - - 368,968 11 2 

From Government - - - 361,640 14 11 

Endowments - - - - 36,372 3 

Other sources - - - - 95,191 7 



£1,181,412 5 9 

* Mr. Fitch, in tlie official report before alluded to, states of 27,093 scholars, 
78 per cent, were under 11 5'ears of age, and 95 per cent, under 13 years 
of age ; and adds, " It is the universal testimony of teachers, that 13 is a 
very critical age in a school boy's life, that if he has been fairly instracted 
Tip to that point, aU his instruction begins then to tell, and that the year 
from the 13 to 14 does more for the development of intelligence than any 
two previous years."— He further states that of 13,362 childi-en, above 6 
years of age, who were presented for examination, 11 per cent, only were 
examined in the 5th and 6th standard. 



37 

Tlie total niunber of subscribers (or subscriptions) to these 
schools, was only 160,000, a very small number when we re- 
member that the whole system depends on them, and that 
Government only supplements voluntary efforts. The effect 
of this course is apparent : in wealthy districts, where money 
is most easily raised for school purposes, there Government 
aid is mostly given ; districts so poor and neglected that no 
one can be found to subscribe money, or to take any interest 
in education, are completely shut out from any assistance. 
Accordingly we find that there are above 10,000 parishes in 
England and Wales where aided schools are not to be found ; 
they are classified as follows : — 

Parishes with more than 5,000 people - 31 

With less than 5,000, and more than 1,000 - 837 

With less than 1,000, and more than 500 - 1,756 

With less than 500 - - - - - 7,780 



Total 10,404 

Probably some of these unaided parishes contain means of 
education that render Government help unnecessaiy ; but it is 
much to be feared that most of them are either too poor to help 
themselves — consequently our system ignores them — or they 
have unaided schools too inferior in quality to stand the test 
of Government inspection. 

This question of the quality and extent of the instruc-. 
tion given, should receive more attention than it does. 
So low is the standard in the public mind, that in giving 
or reading statistics on the subject satisfaction is ex- 
pressed if a large proportion of om- population can read 
and wi'ite ; while, compared with what ought to be the 
educational condition of a people like the English, the mere 
attainments of reading and writing should be regarded 



as simple preliminaries. The fact that only 27 per cent, of 
our marrying population sign the marriage register with a 
cross is given as a proof of our progress in education, 
although when we remember how many can write their 
names, and -w-rite nothing else, such statements as the aboye 
become both painful and alarming. 

In our prison statistics for 186G, the total number of com- 
mitments for the year, exclusive of debtors and mihtary 
offenders, was 124,291 ; of these — 

42,564 could neither read nor write. 
76,804 could read and Amte imperfectly. 

Now, as reading and writing imperfectly are of no practical 
value, the latter division may be classed with those who could 
neither read nor write. Viewed thus, the educational condition 
of the 124,291 committed to prison was as follows: — 

Could neither read nor -vviite, or could do so )^ qw , , 
imperfectly — i.e., totally uninstructed - 3 

Could read and write well - a fraction under 3 per cent. 
Superior education, 1 in 600, or - - \ per cent. 

These tables teach us to deal as gently as possible, consistent 
with the public security, with those ignorant criminals who 
are amenable to laws which they have never been taught to 
respect or comprehend.* 

If we look also to the educational condition of the middle and 
lower middle classes, to the small tradesman class, nothing can 
be more unsatisfactory ; there are evidences of a general want of 
training in the various branches of knowledge which should con- 
stitute school instruction. But for the newspapers, this would be 
stni more apparent; through them is learnt smatterings of 

* Mr. Grant Duff informs us, that of the recruits in the Saxon Army only 
four in a thousand are imable to read, write, and cii)her. 



39 

history, geography, science, &c. The history and geogTaphy 
of Eussia and the East are thus taught during a Crimean war, 
of Jamaica during a riot, of America during a rebellion, of 
India during a mutiny ; even Abyssinia is now being opened 
up to the popular mind by a similar process. Different from 
all this is the superior instruction freely offered by the 
American system. The programme in the Boston Grammar 
Schools comprises spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, gram- 
mar, history, natural philosophy, drawing, vocal music, and in 
some cases algebra, astronomy, French, and German. Such 
instruction, offered freely to every child, regardless of race, 
colour, or religion, and accepted to the extent it is in America, 
must develop and expand the natural powers of the people ; 
must make better workers, observers, and inventors ; must give 
more self-r6spect, and greater power of self-control — in short, 
must produce superior men and women to the masses in 
England who receive no instruction at all. 

The English workmen, with the finest capacity in ths 
world, coupled with unequalled industry and persever- 
ance, have loads and drawbacks thrust upon them, which 
cause them to be beaten by foreigners who are naturally 
their inferiors. 

We must not be led away by the ardour displayed in 
many quarters for technical teaching from the more 
important subject of primary instruction. The United 
States Government has fidly recognized the necessity for 
technical education, by the large grants given to each State, 
under the Agricultural College Act, alluded to in a preceding 
page, for the endo^vment of a College, to teach science, 
as applied to manufactures and agriculture, and "to pro- 
**mote the liberal and practical education of the industrial 
"classes in the several pursuits and professions of life.'* 
V7ithout, however, a system of primary instruction, sound 



40 

and good in quality, and general in its application, technical 
education, tliougii of urgent importance, can effect but 
a small portion of the good it is capable of. The want of 
technical knowledge, like that of all other instruction, is least 
felt, and least sought to be remedied, by those who suffer from 
it most* 

In speaking of a free Public School system for England, 
the question of expense will come uppermost, although 
it is a false economy that allows the cost to interfere 
with the adoption of any system that could effectually 
secure the education of the people. This being an im- 
perial interest or concern, like the support of the army 
and navy, every one should be made to contribute towards 
it, and this could be done by paying at least two-thirds 
of the entire cost out of the general taxation of the 
country ; the remainder to be raised by local rating, added to 
any existing educational or charitable endowments available' 
for the purpose. The Government granting thus the larger 
amount of aid, would have the right to demand a certain 
standard of efficiency, and to secm'e the same by periodical ex- 
aminations, as at present ; only one body of inspectors would 
be sufficient, thus saving the expense of separate staffs, 
which the present denominational system necessitates. A good 
portion of the expenses being defrayed from the local rates, and 
the whole being administered under local management, the 
schools would become objects of thought and interest to the 
general public. At present this is not so ; in many places, so 

* In \dew of the demand now so loudly made for workmen of higlier tech- 
nical skill, it is melancholy to record that nearly 90 per cent, of our present 
scholars leave the Primary Schools, not only uninstracted in the elements of 
science, but also destitute of the rudimentary knowledge without which aU 
future teaching of science, even if it were offered to them, would be well 
nigh unintelligible. — General Export for the year 1867, by Her Majesty's 
Inspector of Schools for tM County of York, G. J. Fitch, Esq., M.A. 



41 

little interest is felt, that the managers have great difficulty in 
procuring subscriptions, and often, to avoid pecuniary respon- 
sibility, the school is farmed to the master, who receives the 
school pence himself, and does the best he can. Any estimate 
of the total cost of providing the means of a good education 
for every child in the country must be in a great measure 
speculative. Taking the whole number of children of the 
school age in England and "Wales at 3 J miQions, and deducting 
those who would not use the free schools, there would remain 
probably about 3,200,000. Allowing the liberal average sum 
of £1 12s. 6d. per annum for each child, the total cost per 
annum of the education of the whole number would be 
£5,200,000. This seems a formidable sum, but by a fourpenny 
rate, added to the government grant in the proportion men- 
tioned above*, and by turning to account existing educational 
endowments, it could be readily raised. Taking the rateable 
value of the property in both counties and boroughs in England 
and Wales, at 94 millions sterling — 



A 4d. rate would yield - - - - £1,566,666 
Educational endowments and charities avail- 
able for pm^poses of education, — say - 
Govermnent grant, f rds the Avhole amount 3,733,332 



o 



00,000 



£5,599,998 

This would leave a large surplus towards supplying the extra 
school accommodation needed, and for the support of Normal 
Schools. In Birmingham the number of children who would 
attend free public schools is probably 50,000, which number 
at the rate of £1 12s. 6d. each per annum, would cost 
£81,250. Eeckoning the rateable value of the property in the 
Borough (including Edgbaston and part of Aston) at One 
Million, a 4d. rate added to the Government grant, and the 



42 

existing educational endowments, would give a good education, 
free of cost, to every child in the Borough. 

A 4d. rate would yield - - - £16,666 
Existing school endowments, say - 12,000 

Government gi'ant - - - 57,332 



£85,998 



The estimated sum required being £81,250, the above would 
leave a sm-plus to be applied to the support of a Normal 
School, and to the payment of the interest on the outlay on 
the new schools that would be required. 

There is an unfairness in throwing the l)ulk of the expense 
on the ratepayers ; the burden would be unequal, in some places 
very heavy, while in many parishes, with small populations, 
men of large property would be called on to pay veiy little, 
and wealthy men with large incomes from certain sources 
would escape altogether, although sharing in the general 
benefits education confers * Besides, " increased liberality on 
the part of the State" seems to be the general demand from 
school managers. 

The immense endowments for educational and charitable 
purposes existing in the country, is too large a question to be 
treated here ; but there can be no doubt of the waste, the 
uselessness, the misappropriation, and the demoralization con- 
nected with many of them. These turned to account, where 
possible, would considerably lighten the cost of education. 
The expense would be further balanced by gi'eat saving in 
other directions. The police returns for 1866 record the 
existence of 22,806 known thieves, besides 64,846 vagrants, 

* Tliis is not so in America, the rates being levied on tlie total amount of 
a man's wealth, of whatever nature, and not as in England, on his house 
and lands only. 



suspected persons, and receivers of stolen goods.* We have 
also above a million of paupers in England and Wales, and a 
mass of extremely poor, just above the level of pauperism, who 
are always reduced by any event, such as a temporary loss of 
trade, or a few weeks' frost, to a state of starvation. Most of 
this springs from improvident and thoughtless habits, the 
results of the total absence of anything like mental or moral 
training; and it is clearly illogical to expect any sensible 
diminution either in pauperism or crime, until the self-helping 
and seK-saving powers in the people themselves are developed 
by education. 

It maybe asked, AMiat would become of the present denomina- 
tional schools, were free unsectarian ones established? The 
denominational system should be arrested, and in all future 
schools unsectarian teaching should be a condition of aid ; the 
schools now existing would receive the Government grant as 
at present, and should the managers find they could not suc- 
ceed in the face of free schools, two courses would be open to 
them — either to give up the denominational teaching and place 
the schools under the management of the Committee elected 
by the ratepayers, or, if that teaching was too much valued to 
be given up, then they might, by means of an increased sub- 
scription list, coupled with the existing Government grant, 
dispense with the children's fees, and make the schools free. 
And this could not be complained of, for those who value 
highly the opportunity of teacliing their particular theological 
views to children in school hours, ought not to object to pay 
for so doing. 

The Bill about to be introduced by Mr. Bruce, if it become 
law, will be worse than useless, because it would retard for many 
years the effectual settlement of the question. A permissive 

* It is calculated that an adult thief is a loss to society of £100. per annum, 
besides the cost of prosecution. 



44 

Bill would be used in a few towns where its action is least 
needed, and be a dead letter in those districts where education 
is most backward ; Mr. Bruce's Bill, as he tells us, is framed to 
"avoid giving offence even to feelings which its promoters 
might regard as unreasonable." Xow a Bill should be framed 
on no such grounds, but it should be framed with a view only 
to secure the object aimed at ; and looking at the " feelings" of 
parties at the present moment, no Bill that "avoids giving 
offence" can settle the question, and all attempts to settle it on 
a denominational system must fail. A measure might be 
framed in deference to the claims of a church, or to the preju- 
dices of a party, and such a compromise might, to a great 
extent, reconcile existing differences, but the object in view 
would be sacrificed by such a scheme, which, moreover, could 
be neither efficient nor lasting. It is to be hoped that no 
permissive Bill will pass,, as a permissive law would gradually 
be adopted by the great centres of industry, and further agita- 
tation on their part woidd cease ; while the smaller places and 
country districts, deprived of the aid of the toAvns that can 
make themselves heard, woidd be left utterly helpless. Such 
places and districts were abandoned in this manner on the 
question of Church Bates ; for no one supposes that, if a 
scheme had not been adopted by which Birmingham, Man- 
chester, and other powerful towns could escape payment, 
Church Bates would have existed so long; and having so 
escaped, but few men in these towns remembered or realized 
the fact that in thousands of parishes the impost was still 
retained, and levied on men as conscientiously opposed to it 
as themselves. 

A comprehensive system of education is needed, that shall 
apply to the whole country ; in our rural districts especially, 
shoidd no exceptions be made to meet the demands of the 
agriculturists. The farmers as a class are indifferent, and even 



45 

liostile to the spread of education, and being large employers 
of child labour, would throw great difficulties in the way. 
Compulsory attendance at school, while it would deprive the 
agricultural labourers of the gains of their children, would 
relieve them from the competition of child labour (which tends 
so much to keep down their wages), and is the only means of 
tdtimately lifting them as a class from the distressing condition 
in which they now lie. The want of primary instruction 
prevents the educational provisions in the Factory Acts from 
doing the good they otherwise would. The liaK-time system 
applied to children who liad been previously well grounded at 
school, would continue their education to a really valuable 
point ; while now the time of the children is chiefly occupied 
in learning to read and write. The extension of this system to 
the agricutural districts would be of immense importance; 
such a measure would be strongly resisted, but there can be 
no reason for interfering with labour in workshops and 
manufactories, and not doing the same in rural districts, 
where the same necessity exists, and where there are no 
greater difficulties to overcome. 

After the most perfect system of Common Schools shall have 
been adopted, there will still remain a class of children to be 
dealt with — those who lie at the very bottom of our social 
fabric — beggars, vagrants, and a shifting population, which no 
ordinaiy day school can touch. The Certified Industrial 
Schools, as far as they have been applied, have dealt with this 
class of children with the most signal success. The main pro- 
visions of the Industrial Schools Act are as foUows : — Any 
child apparently under the age of fourteen, who is found beg- 
ging or receiving alms, or is in any public place for the purpose 
of begging or receiving abns, or is found wandering about 
without home or visible means of subsistence, or who frequents 
the company of reputed thieves, or is found destitute, being 



46 

an orphan, or who has a surviving parent undergoing im- 
prisonment or penal servitude, may be sent by the magistrates 
to a Certified Industrial School, where it will be taught, 
lodged, cared for, and trained to work : the Go^^ernment paying 
the school managers five shillings per week for each child. 
To prevent parents wilfully throwing their children on the 
streets, that they might get them into these schools, the 
magistrates can, when about to send a child to school, make an 
order on its parents for payment of a weekly sum towards its 
maintenance ; and although from the habits of such parents 
these payments might be difficidt to enforce, yet this would be a 
small matter, seeing that the children wovdd be saved from the 
future that awaited them. By a later addition to the Act, 
boroughs and counties may help to establish and maintain 
these schools out of the rates ; but although several counties 
and boroughs are contributing small sums towards the support 
of the inmates of industrial schools, yet the Birmingham Town 
Council is perhaps the only corporate body which has fully 
recognized the necessity and value of them, and voted liberal 
sums for tlieir establishment and maintenance. The efficiency 
of these schools has been tridy remarkable; through their 
agency hundreds of children liave been taken from the most 
hopeless conditions of life, have been instructed, and trained 
up into industrious habits, and are now working at trades, and 
earning their own livelihood. Unfortunately, the men who 
had the wisdom to frame this Act had not the courage to 
make it compulsory, and so we find that after so many years 
of " permission " there were in 1866, in all England and Wales, 
only 34 pf these schools, containing only 1,745 inmates. Every 
borough Avith 20,000 inhabitants, and every county, should be 
compelled to have its Certified Industrial School, to which 
children of tender years charged with offences should be sent; 



47 

and magistrates should not have the option, as at present, of 
committing them to prison. 

There are numbers of benevolent men and women, who sub- 
scribe largely to foreign missions, and are interested and con- 
cerned for the instances of mental and spiritual darkness given 
in the periodical reports of the work done in heathendom, 
who are not aware to what an extent a similar state of things 
exists at home. In the Children's Employment Commission 
Third Keport statements are given of the condition of 
numbers of children and young persons, which would be 
simply incredible, did not the accompanying evidence compel 
belief. Among those examined in Birmingham and its neigh- 
bourhood, many could not teU the Queen's name ; large num- 
bers were ignorant of the commonest objects of nature — of a 
violet, a primrose, a robin, a river, &c. " Of very many indeed" 
— reports the Commissioner — "the state of mind as regards the 
" simplest facts of religion is dark almost beyond belief. It 
" is not too much to say, that to many, God, the Bible, the 
" Saviour, a Christian, even a future state, are ideas entirely 
" or all but unknown." 

Clergymen and ministers have a direct interest in this 
matter. At present they signally fail in laying hold of the 
masses ; they achieve but little of the victory over folly and 
wrong-doing which their zeal and energy warrant. Eational 
teaching is vain to those who have grown up in ignorance and 
indifference ; to affect them at aU, preaching must combine 
miserable sensationalism with gross superstition; but an 
instructed people woidd present a wide field of intelligence 
for the preacher to appeal to— hearers with faculties fitted to 
the investigation of the truths offered to them. 

Another important advantage in the free public school 
system of America, is the soHd and superior education it gives 
to the women of the country. A girl is supposed to have 



4$ 

mental powers equal to those of a boy, wliicli require the 
same kind of training, and the unjust restrictions on female 
education which exist with us have no place in this system. 
Mr. Traser records his appreciation of the high endo-wments 
of the American women, of their intellectual vigour and 
capacity for affau's. He quotes De Tocqueville's important 
testimony. " If I were asked to what cause I would principally 
" attribute the singular prosperity and growing force of this 
" people, I would answer, to the superiority of their women." 
And this superiority is the result of a system of education 
founded on the belief that " the mind of a woman is as able 
" as the mind of a man to discover truth, and her heart as 
" firm to foUow it." 

The adoption of the Common School system in England 
would open up a wide field of employment for women, who, 
from their instinctive love of children, and consequently their 
great influence over them, are more fitted for teaching, at least 
the younger classes, than men ; while the increased regard for 
education which the spread of education brings, would raise 
the office of teacher — in itself most honourable — to such a 
social position as would attract a superior class of women to 
the work.* 

It is frequently argued that the public mind is not yet ripe 
for such laws as free public schools would necessitate, and that 
it is unmse to legislate so much in advance of public opinion. 
The public mind is more easily led in a right direction than 
Governments sometimes ■wish it to be, and in this instance, if 
fairly tested, would probably be found fully up to the idea of 
a National system of compulsory, unsectarian education. 
Difficulties are iinduly magnified, the theological question is 
represented and put before the people as a religious one, and 

*Tlus is the case in America, where the teacher is much respected, is 
proud of the profession, and holds a much higher social position than in 
England. 



49 

masses of our countrymen whose instincts very proj)erly shrink 
from anything irreligious, would, when the question was fairly 
explained, readily support the scheme here advocated. 

And this reveals the necessity for the immediate formation 
of a Society, national in its name and constitution, refusing all 
compromise, but adopting as its platform — national, secular 
(or unsectarian) education, compuLsoiy as to rating and 
attendance, with State aid and inspection, and local manage- 
ment. The action of such a Society would he similar to that 
of the Anti-Corn Law League, and its success as certain ; 
by lectures, by writing, by agitation in every town, it would 
give direction and voice to the fresh and ever-increasing interest 
felt by the people in this matter. There are great numbers in 
various parts of the country Avho believe that the subject can 
be neglected no longer, who have lost all faith in the present 
system, and whose isolated efforts and influence such a Society 
would unite. It would gather to its support the men of 
literature and science, powerful sections of Nonconformists, 
and the whole body of the people. It would effectually pre- 
vent the passing of any half measure ; and, more important 
still, it would put in open opposition those who now join the 
education movement, either to retard it, or to direct it into 
some narrow and inefficient channel."' 

The matter is too urgent for any further delays; while 
experiments are being tried, and barren controversy is going 
on, the little children of to-day will become men and w^omen, 
when it will be too late to deal with them. Let us not be led 
away into any hopeful view of the denominational system from 
the example of its working in Saxony. In that country there 
is great uniformity of creed, and not the religious differences, 

* Such a Society lias since been formed : The National Education 
I/EAGUE — full particulars of which can be obtained on application at the 
Offices of the League, 47, Ann, Street, Birmingham. 



50 

and the lively expression of tliem, that we have in England ; 
and in this fact lies all the difference between the requirements 
of the two countries. 

If this question is not settled speedily by those in power, it 
will descend into the political arena. National education is 
the offspring of popular government, and the people seeing 
the means of their social advancement lie in their education, 
will regard as political enemies all who, from whatever cause, 
place obstacles in the way of its attainment. If they are ^vise 
they wiU make it a question for every hustings, the leading 
item in their political programme ; with it the avenues of place 
and power, and social distinction are opened up to them ; with- 
out it the possession of tlie franchise, or any other political 
right will lose half its value, and may even in certain cases 
be mischievous to themselves, and to the general community. 

Should this question become one of party politics, the 
peo];)le would remember that our Universities — " corporations 
fortified by endowments against all modern influences, good 
or bad"* — and many other educational institutions throughout 
the land, are public property; that through their costly 
instruction, and by then" religious tests, they have become a 
monopoly of the rich, and the property of the Church, instead 
of being equally accessible to aU, regardless of wealth, or 
religious opinions, and a means by wliich the poorest — if he 
have the capacity and perseverance — might rise to the highest 
and most honorable degTees of education. 

The following appears in the Journal of the Statistical 
Society of December last, from the pen of Mr. Thorold Eogers, 
Professor of Political Economy at the University of Oxford: — 
" We know notliing positive of the annual revenues of the two 
" great English Universities. It is generally believed that 

* Essays on a Liberal Education. 



51 

" those of Oxford are the greatest possessed by any corporation ; 
" here, however, the calculation varies between £200,000 and 
" £400,000 per annum. All we know of Oxford is the result 
•' that this great University annually matriculates about 360 
''students, and confers about 320 degrees of Bachelor of 
" Arts, &c. It educates about 1,300 undergraduates, who pay 
" for their own education. Never was known such a prodigious 
" waste of power. There is, besides, a vast number of endowed 
" Grammar Schools. Here again the public is in the dark as 
" to the aggregate annual income of these schools." 

Every one is interested in tliis question, and every one can 
help it forward by feeling rightly and strongly about it. The 
dreadful commonne.ss of the spectacle prevents us from 
realizing what a neglected child really is, and will become ; 
we do not confess to ourselves that, separated as he is from all 
teaching and good influences, he must of necessity develops 
into an ignorant and too often into a criminal man ; and as 
we are all so generally dependent one on another, it is im- 
portant to us that our fellow-men should be placed in condi- 
tions to enable them to do their very best, for what thwarts 
their lives, we may rest assured thwarts, through them, our 
own. 

Besides the public policy and expediency of bringing the 
means of instruction within reach of all, there is the private 
and social blessing which education yields to its possessor, 
the extent to which it renders a man happy and contented ; 
not the doltish emptiness, so often extolled as contentment, 
seen in the faces, and heard in the words of labourers in our 
agricultural parts, but the happiness and health of men whose 
minds are occupied and entertained by something outside 
themselves. Let those who know, in various degrees, what 
education is, and who value it for their own children 
who know what resources it opens up, and how duU and 



52 

lost they would be themselves without it, think of the 
tliousands, endowed mth natural capacity, whose minds are 
almost blank ; whose imaginations are never carried by reading 
into other lands, or to times gone by ; who know nothing about 
the heavens above them or the ground beneath them, of the 
laws that relate to health or that should regulate their 
conduct; who have no intelligent turning towards God, or 
recognition of the evidences of His goodness ; whose religious 
instincts even are too often debased by delusions and super- 
stitions ; and who are separated from all that is high and divine 
in our human lives, by that ignorance and neglect to which 
in childhood they have been condemned. For them, as far as 
any personal pleasure or community of thought goes, Shake- 
speare, Milton, and Jesus Christ himself might have dwelt on 
any other planet. 

" The moving glory of the Heavens, tlieir pomp and pageantry, 
Flame in their shadowed faces, bnt no soul comes up to see ; 
They see no Angels lean to them, they stretch no spirit-hand ; 
Melodious beauty sings to them, they cannot understand." 

"What have they done that this pitiable state shoidd be forced 
upon them, when the remedy is so easy, and so natural ; what 
have we done that we are to be deprived as a nation of all 
the good, the blessings, and the general progress, which the 
cultivation of this wasted life and power would secure. 

BlRMINGHAJH, 

Jamcary, 1868. 



APPEISTDIX. 



Thb first rqiort of the Birmingham Education Society, issued 
since the foregoing was Avritten, refers exchisively to the manual 
labour and poorer classes, and the Society's inquiries have been so 
careful and thorough, that the educational condition of these classes 
can be ascertained Avith an exactitude that is hardly possible in any 
other toAvn in England. 

The Society had for its principal objects — ^paying school fees for 
j)oor children, raising and distributing funds for the enlargement, 
building, and maintenance of schools, taking steps for obtaining 
local rating on behalf of education, and collecting aiid disseminating 
information on the sid3Ject generally. 

The Committee of the Society, Avith a vieAV to ascertain as correctly 
as possible the educational condition of the toAvn, instituted a house- 
to-house visitation ; 754 streets out of the 1,027 in the borough were 
canvassed, the remaining 273 being of a class tliat did not require 
visiting. The total number of chilcben visited was 52,573 ; of these 
7,517 were under three years of age; of the remaining 45,056, 
32,997 had been to school at some period of their lives, Avliile 
12,059 had never been to school. 

This is stating the case in the most favourable light possible, for 
the number of children who have been at school includes those who 
have been for any space of time, lioAvever short, and to any school, 
including Dames' schools. The average time of each child at school 
is consequently very short, and altogether useless for the purpose 
of education, being for boys If year each, for girls 2| years each. 



64 

The actual number of children at school at the time of inquiiy 
•was — 

Boys 8,587 

Girls 8,436 



Total ... 17,023 



or a little less than two-fifths of the whole number of children over 
three years of age. 

The educational state of these 45,056 children was as follows : — 
13,380 could read and write, 5,482 could read only, leaving 26,194, 
or more than half, who could neither read nor write ; and this again 
states the case far too favourably, for a large number of those stated 
as being able to read and write could do so so imperfectly that it 
could be of little or no practical value to them in after life. Many 
children, between the ages of nine and fifteen, who were stated to be 
able to read and write Avell, were found on examination hardly able 
to write an easy paragraph in legible hand, or to read the same 
without spelling several words. 

Of the children actually at school, by far the larger portion were 
very young. Of the whole number 10,890 were between the ages 
of three and nine, wliile only 6,128 were between the ages of nine 
and fifteen. There were 1,136 between tliree and four. The largest 
number (2,220) were between seven and eight ; after which age they 
gradually foU off, till between eleven and twelve there were only 
1,148, and between twelve and thirteen only 715. 

These tables show at what a very early age the majority of the 
children leave school. It would be a mistake also to supj)ose that 
the children not at school were at work, for we find that 6,337 only 
were at work, thus showing to a certainty that 21,696 children out 
of 45,056, between the ages of three and fifteen, were neither at school 
nor at work. It must be borne in mind that this is no conjecture, 
but the result of a house-to-house inquiry ; that the name, residence, 
age, condition, and every particular of each of these 45,056 children 
have been ascertained, are carefully recorded, and are now open to 
inspection by any one at the ojffice of the Society. 



55 

Of the 6,337 children who were at work, 2,044, or about 35 per 
cent, only, could read and write; while 926, or ahout 16 per cent., 
had never been inside a school. 

These melancholy tables indicate too clearly what the state of 
education among the grown-up persons ,of the working and poorer 
classes must be in Birmingham, but in order to get some reliable 
information on this head, the Committee of the Society resolved to 
test by individual examination the state of education of the young 
persons (between 13 and 21) employed in the various factories in 
the town. This examination was conducted by Mr. Long, a gentle- 
man from the Saltley Training College, and though the Committee 
were prepared to find the results unsatisfactory, they were much 
surprised at the complete educational destitution which this examina- 
tion brought to light. The test used was the 4th Standard of the 
Committee of Council on Education, which consists of reading an 
easy paragraph, writing the same, and doing the simplest sitm in 
arithmetic in which money is used. This standard is so low that 
its attainment is scarcely worthy the name of instruction, yet 
simple as it is, we find only 41 out of 908 young persons, or about 
4:^ per cent, of the whole number examined, could pass. Many of 
these young persons had been to school for a considerable time ; 
nearly half of them for a period of more than three years. The 
total amount of school accommodation in Birmingham (excluding 
private schools and the Free Grammar School in 'New Street), was 
for 29,275 children, the average attendance being 18,531, leaving 
vacancies for 10,742. This is sufiicienL for about 1 in 12^ of the 
whole population, and even if properly distributed would leave 
15,781 children unprovided for. 

But the accommodation is very unequally distributed in the 
town, and varies from 1 in 7 in St. Mary's Ward, to 1 in 28 in 
St. Paul's. The populous district of Duddeston, for example, 
containing about 48,000 inliabitants, has only school accommoda- 
tion for about 1 in 17 of the population. 



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